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Ode to Billie Joe Lyrics by Leslie Satcher

Love Letters

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It was the third of June another sleepy dusty Delta day
I was out choppin' cotton and my brother was a bailin' hay
And at dinner time we stopped and walked out to the house to eat
And mama hollered of the back door, "Y'all remember to wipe your feet"
Then she said, "I got some news this mornin' from Choctaw Ridge
Today Billie Joe Macallister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge"
Papa said to Mama as he passed around the blackeyed peas
"Well, Billy Joe never had a lick of sense, pass the biscuits, please
There's five more acres in the lower forty that I've got to plow"
And Mama said, "It was shame about Billy Joe, anyhow
Seems like nothin' ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge
And now Billy Joe Mac Allister's jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge"
Mama said to me, "Child, what's happened to your appetite?
I've been cookin' all morning and you haven't touched a single bite
That nice young preacher, Brother Taylor, dropped by today"
Said, he'd be pleased to have dinner on Sunday, oh, by the way
He said, he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge
And she and Billy Joe was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge
A year has come and gone since we heard the news 'bout Billy Joe
Brother married Becky Thompson, they bought a store in Tupelo
There was a virus going 'round, Papa caught it and he died last spring
Now Mama doesn't seem to wanna do much of anything
And me, I spend a lot of time pickin' flowers up on Choctaw Ridge
And drop them into the muddy water off the Tallahatchie Bridge
Credits
Leslie Satcher

Leslie Satcher

About “Ode to Billie Joe” by Leslie Satcher

Read the complete lyrics to "Ode to Billie Joe" by Leslie Satcher from the album "Love Letters". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Country.

"Ode to Billie Joe" is performed by Leslie Satcher. from the album "Love Letters" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Ode to Billie Joe", explore more songs by Leslie Satcher using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Ode to Billie Joe" is credited to Leslie Satcher. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Ode to Billie Joe" appears on "Love Letters".

Visit the Leslie Satcher artist page at /artist/leslie-satcher for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.